Filner pleads guilty to one felony, two misdemeanor counts

Victims not named. Details not released

The Union-Tribune and local TV stations are reporting that former Mayor Bob Filner pleaded guilty this morning to one criminal count of false imprisonment by violence, fraud, menace and deceit, and two misdemeanor battery counts.

aardvark: It appears that this is a plea agreement but I just don't know the details. He resigned as mayor for economic reasons: he knew that defending actions by three separate branches of government (U.S. Attorney, AG, city attorney) would break him financially. Was this part of the same strategy? I just don't know. Best, Don Bauder

These weren't the charges used to remove him from office, but perhaps the behavior he was apologizing for. If he pleaded guilty to this, he likely will settle the civil cases. I'm puzzled by how such a felony could occur in public without being noticed.

Bob Filner did not get equal justice, we may never get the full details, but no act described seemed very unusual, let alone criminal, on Filner's side. The prosecution behavior, from the Sheriff's hotline, to the international smear, to the active participation of political enemies and more, was not normal or equal. The prosecution was deviant, and possibly criminal.

Bob Filner settles this to bring closure, and perhaps out of real remorse. His enemies are remorseless hypocrites, and the City will have closure only when they are removed from office.

"... the City will have closure only when they are removed from office."

Yeah as soon as we clear up that JFK conspiracy we'll get to the cartel that made Bubba Bob resign and plead guilty because we know Bob would only do such things for the children (or maybe the "neighborhoods").

Maybe he can now quietly spend his retirement playing video poker with Maureen O'Connor.

It appears that Filner pleaded guilty to crimes he did not commit to protect his family. He probably wants to leave some money to his children. Many CEOs in San Diego do what Filner did on a daily basis and are not prosecuted. If women complain, the company pays hush money to protect the CEO.

Burwell: What is really disturbing is the wording of the charges. He put his arm around a woman, possibly in a so-called Filner headlock, and allegedly didn't stop when he told her to. This is FALSE IMPRISONMENT BY VIOLENCE, FRAUD, MENACE AND DECEIT," according to the GM. The wording of this charge is gross overkill by the government.

A woman asked to have her photo taken with him and he allegedly touched her buttocks. This is a misdemeanor. He kissed a lady on her lips without her permisssion. Said the AG, "The conduct was not only criminal, it was also an extreme abuse of power." All these offenses happened with other people in the room for public events. Is there any evidence that anybody complained at the time?

Filner agreed to the charges to put this behind him. I repeat that this whole matter has been an intergovernmental lynching. Best, Don Bauder

As this was such a high-profile case, you can be sure she was kept informed of its progress and the plea deal. The point is, this was NOT a "lynching," "palace coup" or "media conspiracy" (or attack by the "corporate welfare crowd") as a certain Reader blogger has parroted for weeks.

Don Bauder: I'd been told that you are Filner's primary apologist and so you are. You do understand that he pled guilty to a felony and misdemeanors, right? You do understand that his actions were criminal, right?

Can you offer any insight as to how you decided to go down a path defending an old lecherous criminal misogynist dimwit such as Filner? I'm close to your age so I'm hoping I don't sink into the self-delusionary state you've willed yourself into thinking a mutt like Filner deserves anything other than jail time.

Do you regret having lost credibility as a journalist or are you on the Don Quixote phase of your life and don't give a damn?

shirleyberan: Remember, Filner admitted long ago that he had a monster inside him in dealing with women. But what has come out doesn't really justify the word "monster." I can think of at least one prominent person in the media industry whose activities are more repugnant than Filner's. Best, Don Bauder

There was open cooperation between branches of law enforcement even before these events occurred, they confess this. At issue is whether the government solicited retroactive withdrawal of consent, as they seemed to do with their Sheriff's hotline. This is a variety of perjury. Filner doesn't choose to fight on this bridge.

I've never heard of hugs and kisses prosecuted as battery or false imprisonment, usually these charges involve malicious intent, with bruises and scratches proving the case.

And as for proving the malicious nature of the attack on Filner, we need only look at the continued attacks on him in this blog. Rapists go unindicted in this city, horrible crimes go unremarked on this blog. Can anyone doubt that the continued fury concerns who he was, not what he did. Compare this case; http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs...

Psycholizard: Keep this in mind: Goldsmith told KUSI that he had begun working on Filner's ouster in January, almost as soon as he assumed office. Goldsmith did this, he said, because the recall process in San Diego was inadequate for doing the job. This will be an important fact to remember as this goes forward. Best, Don Bauder

Kamala Harris was Willie Brown's mistress when he ran the California state legislature. Harris was 26 and Brown was 60. Brown appointed Harris to two state boards that paid substantial salaries and he bought her a BMW. Harris owes her success in life to striking good looks. She did what she had to do to get ahead and stand in the short line. Harris and Filner swim in the same cesspool.

This is a strange thread. Filner's defender's report the allegations, Filner's attackers attach unpleasant adjectives as a substitute for argument. The interference of a politician is claimed as a defense against the charge of political interference.

Let me repeat, no one, not even the victims, cares about Bob Filner's criminal failures in lovemaking technique, his defenders are happy to report the pettiness of the charges. He was prosecuted for who he was, not for what he did.

It's good news that the ex-mayor pleaded guilty, but he sure cut a good deal for a light sentence--basically a slap on the wrist for a felony. He should at least have to do community service, like cleaning public toilets or picking up trash. And this should serve as a warning to the next public official who even thinks of engaging in sexual harassment.

dwbat: Yes, he got a good deal. That is why he confessed. He would have gone broke if he had not admitted to the allegations. This happens all the time in government: In effect, "We will pay your bills if you confess; if you don't confess, we will break you financially." That is what must be investigated, and the Filner case is a good one for such an investigation. Best, Don Bauder

If information comes out that gov't agencies colluded in an unethical and/or illegal way that should certainly be investigated fully. Personally, I don't see how that would clear Filner's name at this point.

Psycholizard: Look at press coverage -- not only locally, but nationally. Only one side of the story is told. Government charges are taken as gospel. No one questions that federal, state and local government were involved...TOGETHER. As I said, this entire Filner matter will make great reading in a publication such as the New Yorker after the hysteria goes away. Best, Don Bauder

This was battery and false imprisonment, not sexual harassment. I've endured and seen far worse than that described, no charges were filed. DeMaio did worse, no charges were filed. It was who he was, not what he did.

"Filner is a disgusting man..." is name calling. You may as well plead to that, as well as failing to read your own writing. ImjustaBill

I would say it's a proven fact now that Filner is disgusting - I don't think it's name calling. So you are saying committing a felony against women is not disgusting? If so then I guess I am a name-caller.

Could you please elaborate on why it's not disgusting for a high level public official to commit a felony against a woman?

ImJustABill: Goldsmith has admitted that he began working on Filner's ouster in January. He talked with several others. With whom did he talk, and what strategy did they decide on? The public must force Goldsmith to admit the answers to these questions. Best, Don Bauder

it's official. one would think that would shut up the folks who defend him online. but no, the Filner Felony Fans seem to be in denial about what's happening to their hero. Filner was more like an idol, not a hero, to his followers where his worshipping fans cannot believe that he could do the wrongs that he admitted doing - because, really, the world is against them all....

Filner was an old man. he may have had woman problems throughout his life, but it seems he became less restrainted in his old age. he's old. Filner is a good reason why there should be a mandatory retirement age for politicians. also, his reported need for medication to control his moods should have been much more widely exposed before he became mayor. did San Diego really want a wacko who has to be medicated to actually run this city? it's surprising that was not a significant election campaign issue. probably would have been labelled dirty politics, but that should have been exposed. Filner went off his meds and then got all wacko in his old age as a sex-crazed creepy old pervert.

MeReader, you sound like you're 18 years old. When you gain some wisdom, if you make it that far, you will understand the complexities in situations like these. It's not as simple as you think. Come back in 30 years and comment.

Yankeedoodle: Yes, but I expect to be down in hell by then, punished for saying so many nasty things about corporate welfare, the convention center glut, the intergovernmental lynching of a mayor, etc. Best, Don Bauder

MeReader: His reported need for medications is important. He may have gone off his meds. How many candidates for mayor in that election were on meds? That is an equally important question. Best, Don Bauder

The vast majority of San Diegans are satisfied with Filner's guilty pleas. But more legal troubles are coming his way. So the Filner-worshippers (especially a Reader blogger) will continue to rant and rave about how their boy got railroaded. It's like listening to a stuck record, or Tea Party boneheads squalling about Obamacare. I guess it won't stop, as they have nothing of real importance to talk about, so just repeat their own tired statements (like annoying/deceptive TV infomercials). It's so much easier to pontificate in blogs, than do real journalism with verifiable facts.

Obviously the described offenses don't rise to the criminal level, let alone felony, but the prosecution could bring case after case, thanks to the squad of investigators assigned, and the Sheriff's hotline. Filner likely pled guilty due to the number of possible cases, even though each case was extremely weak, the cases detailed probably being the most serious.

Psycholizard: Filner pleaded guilty because it was either do that or go broke. It was the same with his resignation from office: go along with three branches of government or go broke. This is the gravamen. This is also, tragically, common government practice. I am sure Filner will not talk about it. Best, Don Bauder

If what you are saying is true then perhaps Filner had a very poor defense attorney. Or was the defense attorney also in on this conspiracy to oust Bob Filner - it seems to include almost everyone in San Diego.

Hooray this morning on KUSI with Ed Lenderman, San Diego Criminal Attorney Allen Bloom scoffed at the idea of "feloney headlock,"stating that this sort of thing happens all of the time and is never prosecuted. For it to rise to the level of criminal prosecution is almost unheard of, Bloom saying "it just never happens." He opines this was done to make an example of a particular person, because of who he is.

PacificBeachgirl: Hooray for Allen Bloom and Ed Lenderman for telling the truth. Up to now, only the Reader and a couple of smaller papers have pointed out that this has been an intergovernmental lynching from the beginning.

I will say it once more: Goldsmith said on KUSI that he had been working on ousting Filner beginning in January. Reason: the two couldn't get along. Good reason for an illegal lynching, right? Some day the San Diego public may realize this. Best, Don Bauder

ImJustABill: Agreed: Aguirre deserves an A. But Filner should not get an F. His beliefs and his platform were what San Diego needs, with some exceptions such as his late backing of the convention center expansion and his apparent working with the Chargers. Best, Don Bauder

When this plea was announced earlier in the week, I got to hear Goldsmith chortling on the air. He spent at least ten minutes in self-congratulation on the Bill Carroll show on KFI, and it was sickening to listen to it.

But, while I'm not in league with dwbat, and MeReader, I don't agree that this was a political lynching, pure and simple. A couple other local pundits, who shall remain unidentified, but whose opinions I also respect, see Filner as a bad choice. The Dems knew of his tempramental flaws, yet pushed him nonetheless, and now have a train wreck on their hands.

If this were actually a lynching, it would have been along partisan lines, and it wasn't. It started with one of his most ardent supporters in own his party, Donna Frye, calling for his removal. And it ended (if we can call this the end) with a partisan Dem attorney general accepting a plea deal which now brands him for life as a felon. Were there GOP people in the middle of it all? Sure, and Goldsmith was prominent among them. Don was calling for a public airing of these charges, and it looks as if (for the time being at least) that there will be no such public scrutiny. If Filner was so sure that he was innocent, as he claimed, he would have fought the charges, and exposed them for what he claimed they were, namely false.

It would be so easy to dismiss this case as justice being done if you like the outcome, or as a lynching if you do not like the outcome, but it is far more complicated than that.

Ah, a sense of reason emerges to counter the Filner fanboys on here! Yes, Filner was a bad choice, but many of us held our noses and voted for him as the other guy (DeMaio) was so much worse. So it was a lesser of two "weevils."

Visduh: It did not start with Frye, Gonzalez, and Briggs. Goldsmith has admitted in a KUSI interview that he began working on the ouster of Filner in early January. Also, Goldsmith said that the recall route was impractical because too many signatures had to be gathered in too short a time. Frye et al were running on a separate track.

The corporate welfare folks had been working to get rid of Filner almost as soon as he was elected. Best, Don Bauder

Guilt or innocence is irrelevant to an actual lynching charge, most of those punished by the public might well have been guilty. Obviously lynching here is used as metaphor, and one can claim it's overheated metaphor, if you didn't live in this City when the outrage occurred. The frenzy unleashed went far beyond anything I've ever witnessed, and now leads to a plea bargain that would be laughable on it's face, if it didn't involve a felony. The City was thrown into turmoil for an unwanted smooch, pat on the butt, and hug, from complaints filed after the scheme to use these charges to remove the Mayor was publicly promoted.

dwbat: The point is that John Does are not charged with such crimes for similar activity. Do you really think that a "Filner headlock" amounts to a felony count of false imprisonment by violence, fraud, menace and deceit?

This was ridiculous overkill by government at several levels that was out to get him. He had to resign and plead guilty or go broke. You have to understand that this is how government works. Best, Don Bauder

I agree that this was frenzied, and far beyond anything seen in a very long time, if ever. This plea bargain is most strange, involving a felony, as you point out. It may or may not have been equal justice, because if there was truly felonious conduct, he should do some hard time. The whole thing has a most unsatisfying element to it, and we may have to witness years of civil proceedings about the same issues. The slobbering civic monster that is San Diego stumbles and slobbers along.

Visduh: I am going to put the KUSI interview with Goldsmith online. I will do it tomorrow (Friday). To repeat, Goldsmith admitted he started working on the ouster of Filner in January. Recall would not work because too many signatures would have to be collected in too short a time, he said. Gloria Allred went to the AG and sheriff's office, and Goldsmith no doubt worked with them, too. We still have not heard from the U.S. Attorney's office, which is working on something that appears to be equally ridiculous -- civil, hardly criminal.

As I have said before, Filner's actions were inexcusable. People who abused their power more egregiously, such as Jack Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Bill Clinton and others did not get hounded out of office, although Clinton went through hell. (For the record, I thought the Clinton fiasco was also overkill, and I was a Republican at the time. I was also aware of Clinton's dreadful sexual behavior while he was governor of Arkansas.) Best, Don Bauder

Psycholizard: Of course it was not equal justice. Yes, lynching is a metaphor for the act of punishing someone without due process. That is what happened to Filner when he was forced to resign. Some might argue that he got due process when he admitted to a felony and two misdemeanors, but he only admitted to them to keep from going broke. Best, Don Bauder

If an attorney gets convicted of DUI, yes it IS a good reason not to listen to him/her again!
It shows they may be lacking in judgment and integrity. Counselor-at-law Bloom can say what he wants to about the prosecution being inappropriate, but his opinion doesn't matter. People don't get cited often for spitting on the sidewalk. But if the Mayor did this repeatedly after being told to stop it, then he would deserve legal punishment for being such a clueless jerk. Ergo, Filner's legal troubles arrived at the station. Now was that so hard to understand?

NEWS FLASH: I have it on good authority (wink wink) that The New Yorker will NOT be doing a story on Filnergate, even though a blogger keeps hoping and praying they will. The New Yorker has better stories to do than "SoCal sexual harasser cries "innocent" but pleads guilty to a felony later."

DW:
According to this paragraph above, the charge to which Filner plead guilty was not sexual harassment, nor were the two misdemeanors. Thus, the headline you facetiously describe would be a non sequitur.

Of course, battery is simply unwanted touching by another, of which I accuse my sig other often, especially when we are both going for the same last bite of ice cream in the carton:)

Yankeedoodle: Then report your significant other to City Attorney Goldsmith, who will round up officials from local, state and federal government branches and charge him/her with a felony and two misdemeanors. Best, Don Bauder

There must be more than we're told in this plea bargain, but one thing is certain, Filner pled guilty to a felony because the prosecutor would accept no less. From the beginning he seemed genuinely contrite. The sad lesson is that a public figure must never express remorse, only good people feel remorse, and understand their own weakness, but show remorse and weakness and the hypocrites will circle for the kill, howling with the sadistic joy only the remorseless feel.

That political mistake might be the right move for him personally, I hope he learns better manners and recovers from this. He's been wronged, but the only worthy revenge is to live well.

"Genuinely contrite" LOL. That is one of the more ridiculous things you've written. Go back and re-read Filner's resignation speech and how he talked about a "lynch mob" and only apologized for "offending" women - not harassing them.

To the blogger (whose name I don't use anymore): I'm quite aware what the State Bar does, so no need to instruct people like a condescending schoolmarm. [I once worked for a legal services firm in Los Angeles, and had some dealings with the Bar.] Nobody said a lawyer gets disbarred for a DUI. But who wants to retain such a lawyer, or listen to his rants on TV about what he considers a felony? I'll go along with the AG and grand jury instead. And I guess we'll hear the "corporate welfare folks" and "intergovernmental lynching" phrases a hundred more times from the blogger. Some bloggers just fall in love with their cherished sayings, and never let their cliches go away for more than a day. NOT Best, dwbat.